WEBVTT SOLEDAD: BALTIMORE RAVENS TIGHTEND BEN WATSON WOULD STRUGGLE IFHE HAD TO STAND, OR KNEEL, ON AFOOTBALL FIELD THIS YEAR.HE'S OUT WITH A TORN ACHILLESTENDON.IT'S ENDED HIS SEASON BUT HASN'TSTOPPED HIM FROM WEIGHING IN ONTHE NATIONAL DIALOGUE GENERATEDBYSAN FRANCISCO 49ERS QUARTERBACKCOLIN KAEPERNICK.KAEPERNICK HAS BEEN HOLDING HISOWN SILENT PROTEST AGAINST TTREATMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICANSBY REFUSING TO STAND DURING THENATIONAL ANTHEM.IT WAS WATSON WHO WEIGHED INWITH AN IMPASSIONED POSTING ONHIS FACEBOOK PAGE, ALL PART OFHIS BLOG THAT HE HAS BEEWRITING FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS,WHERE HE TACKLES THORNY ISSUESOF PARENTING, INEQUALITY, THERACIAL DIVIDHE TALKS ABOUT WHY HE WOULD OPTTO STAND.BEN WATSON JOINS US THIS MORNINGFROM HIS HOME, WHERE HE ISRECOVERING.THANKS FOR JOINING US.WE APPRECIATE YOU LETTING US TOCOME INTO YOUR HOME AND SIT DOTO DO THIS INTERVIEW.YOU HAVE BEEN WRITING THIS BLOGFOR A WHILE.I LIKE IT A LOT AND I LIKE ITBECAUSE YOU TACKLE SOME BIGISSUES IN A NUANCED APPROACH ANDI HAVE TO IMAGINE THAT A LOT OFPEOPLE WOULD SAY, LISTEN, YOUPLAY FOOTBALL, GO PLAY FOOTBALL.WHY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THISSTUFF?THIS IS THIRD RAIL OCONVERSATIONS, FRANKLY, TALKINGABOUT RACE.BEN: YEAH, I DO GET SOME OFTHAT.I ALWAYS SAY I'M AN ATHLETE ANDTHAT'S MY PROFESSION JUST LIEVERYONE ELSE'S PROFESSION.OUTSIDE OF THAT, I'M A FATHER,I'M A SON, I'M A CITIZEN OF THISCOUNTRY, I PAY TAXES, I VOTE,I'M A CHRISTIAN.I HAVE MANY OTHER THINGS JUSTLIKE EVERYONE ELSE DOES AND WEALL HAVE AN INVESTED INTEREST INOUR LIVES AND IN THIS COUNTRYAND I'M NO DIFFERENT.I'VE USED THE OPPORTUNITY TO GETMY THOUGHTS ON PAPER ANDSOMETIMES PEOPLE LOVE IT,SOMETIMES THEY DON'T.BUT I THINK THAT'S THE GREATTHING IS WHEN PEOPLE ARE OPEN TOHAVING THESE KINDS OFCONVERSATIONS.I WANT TO BE SOMEONE TO SPURTHOSE CONVERSATIONS SO WE CANGET SOLUTIONS.SOLEDAD: I THINK YOUR BLOG ISJUST TERRIFIC.YOUR LATEST POST, YOU TALK ABOUTCOLIN KAEPERNICK AND I'M GOINGTO READ A SMALL PIECE OF WHATYOU WROTE, BUT I WOULD LIKEEVERYBODY TO GO CHECK OUT WHATYOU WROTE AS WELL.YOU WRITE, "I STAND, BECAUSETHIS MIXED BAG OF EVIL AND GOODIS MY HOME.AND BECAUSE IT'S MY HOME, MSTANDING IS A PLEDGE TO CONTINUETHE FIGHT AGAINST ALL INJUSTICEAND PRESERVE THE GREATESTATTRIBUTES OF THE COUNTRY,INCLUDING COLIN KAEPERNICK'RIGHT TO KNEEL.SUCH DISPLAYS AGAINST THE STATUSQUO ARE DISTINCTLY AMERICAN.MY HOPE, THOUGH, IS THAT THESEACTIONS BRING MORE ATTENTION TTHE PROBLEM THAN TO THEPROTESTOR.YOU GO ON AND ON, AND I THINKIT'S A VERY THOUGHTFUL COLUMN.DO YOU THINK THAT IN FACT WHATHAS BEEN HAPPENING HAS BROUGHTMORE TO THE PROBLEM AND NOT TOTHE PROTESTER?BEN: THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEENPROTESTS THAT PUSH THE ENVELOPEFORWARD.I'M KIND OF BROUGHT THIS CHANGEA LOT. AND KIND OF BROUGHT THISCHANGE ALONG.AS A BLACK MAN, YOU UNDERSTANDTHERE'S A LOT I DON'T LIKE ABOUTTHIS COUNTRY'S HISTORY, THERE'SA LOT THAT HURTS ME, THAT I'MANGRY ABOUT, THAT I'M FRUSTRATEDAND SAD ABOUT.BUT ON THE OTHER THE SIDE, THIS HOME AND I WANT THIS PLACE TOGET BETTER.WHEN I STAND, I AM STANDING FORALL OF THOSE INJUSTICES.I'VE SEEN PROGRESS AND I WANTTHERE TO BE MORE PROGRESS ANDWHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT ISHAPPENING RIGHT NOW, MY HOPE ISTHAT WE CAN HAVE THATCONVERSATION, HAVE THATPROGRESS.SOLEDAD: SO, BEN, YOU WRITE ALOT ABOUT YOUR FAITHI KNOW YOU ARE VERY DEVOUT.I GREW UP IN A VERY DEVOUTFAMILY AS WELL, NAMED ACTUALLYFOR THE VIRGIN MARY.I'M CURIOUS BECAU IN SOME YOURPOSTS, YOUR SOLUTION IS TO FOCUSON THE GOSPEL.AND SOMETIMES I WONDER IS THATENOUGH? BEN: WE CAN'T SIT BY AND SAYEVERYTHING IS OK, AND THAT GODLOVES ALL OF US.YES, THAT'S TRUE, BUT IF YOU ARECONVICTED OF THE GOSPEL, THEN ITWILL SPUR YOU TO REALIZE ANDUNDERSTAND AND TO HAVECOMPASSION AND EMPATHY FOR THOSEWHO ARE HURTING AND THOSE WHHAVE BEEN SERVED SOME SORT OFINJUSTICE, NO MATTER WHAT THATIS.I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT BLACKAND WHITE HERE, BUT A MYRIAD ISSUES, WHETHER IT BE SETRAFFICKING, THE POOR, WHATEVERIT IS.SOLEDAD: DO YOU THINK TIME WILLJUDGE COLIN KAEPERNICKDIFFERENTLY?HE IS BEING VILIFIED, AS YOUKNOW, IN A WAY MUHAMMAD ALI WASVILIFIED MANY YEARS AGO.OF COURSE, MUHAMMAD ALI IS HELDUP AS AN EXAMPLE OF A PERSON WHOTOOK A MORAL STAND AT A CRITICALTIME.DO YOU THINK THAT IS GOING TOHAPPEN TO COLIN KAEPERNICK?BEN: QUITE POSSIBLY.QUITE POSSIBLY.I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WHENPEOPLE MAKE THESE STANDS THEREARE HARSH REACTIONS ON BOTHSIDES.I CAN HONESTLY S THAT I SEENBOTH SIDES OF IT.I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE TELL HIM TOHE NEEDS TO LEAVE TH COUNTRY,WHICH IS RIDICULOUS, AND THEN IHAVE SEEN PEOPLE SAY THEY ARE100% BEHIND HIM AND THEY LOVEEVERYTHING HE DOESWE LIVE IN A COUNTRY OF SUCHSTARK OPPOSITION THAT WE GO BACKAND FORTH ABOUT STUFF LIKE THATSO I HAVE SEEN BOTH SIDES OF ITI DO THINK THAT OVER TIME WEWILL KNOW IF IT IS SOMETHING

But one NFL player, Baltimore Raven’s tight end Benjamin Watson, worries people are misplacing their attention on what’s important.

“Let's talk about why he is protesting which is because he believes there is unfair treatment of people of color in our country and there's oppression and that's important to him and they should be important to all of us. So now as a country let's talk about these issues. Let's about this racial divide - is there one? Is there not one? Let's be honest about that.”

In a

">Facebook post, Watson detailed his concerns stressing that while Kaepernick is within his rights to kneel during the national anthem he, Watson, would not do the same, despite agreeing that something needs to be done about the racial divide.

“There's a lot I don't like about our history, there's a lot that hurts me, that I'm angry about, that I'm frustrated and sad about but on the other the side this is my home and when I stand I am standing for all of those injustices. I've seen progress and I want there to be more progress.”

“We all have a vested interest in our lives and in this country and I'm no different. I've used the opportunity to get my thoughts on paper and sometimes people love it sometimes they don't but I think that's the great thing is when people are open to having these kinds of conversations.”

Part of what gives Watson hope for progress is his Christian faith. Many of his posts end with a call to focus on the gospel to find a solution.

“But also it's not enough to say to someone you don't like, that Jesus loves you and that's it. Part of the Gospel and part of what believers do is they care about brothers and sisters and they understand there is some action to that faith.”